The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-04-16
THE TWO GIANTS,

Isefriend just This Once" and after
Awhile"
Boys, let me tell you, who are fond
of reading about fairies and giants,
that there are two giants
But, there! The idea of calling I'M
conquered faults by the name of giants
is such an old one that l don't believe
I'll finish this in the way in which l
have begun it. | think | will Just say
out, in the plainest and most unvar-
nished manner, that there ,Te two
faults that cause more trouble, | do
believe than most any other faults in
the world. Remember, when | say
faults I don't mean vices such as
drinking, swearing, lying, etc, though
these two faults of which | am going to
speak will turn into vices if not cor
rected in early youth.
They are so much alike that, if l
hadn't adopted the giant plan, 1
should call them twins. / think | shall
be obliged to call them twins anyway
twin" faults. When l tell you
their names you will see how much
they resemble each other, while they
are really different.
The first one is, then, Just this
once" and the second one is After
awhile"
The first one arises from an eager
desire to have ones 5wn way; the Sec
ond one from-well, from laziness.
Just this once" causes, think, per-
haps little more unhappiness than
latter while'-simply because when
we feel the necessity of using this
phrase, it is always in reference to
something we know we should not do,
either because we have been told not
to, or because our own sense of right
warns us that we are doing wrong.
And, boys, if you have been told to
stop doing some particular thing, and
you try to ease your conscience with
the promise to yourself that it shall be
lust this once and never again" let
me tell you that the next time tempta-
ton assails you, you will again say
lust this once" (Which will make
twice. and this time you will not be
obliged to talk to your conscience to
prove that there is no harm in "just
this once"
Boys, don't smoke 'just this once"
because you are afraid ito look queer"
on some particular occasion "when all
the rest of the fellows smoke" Don t
think that "just this once won't mat
ter" if father or mother have asked
you not to do it. Every time counts,
and mother and father can not have
the same confidence in boy who al
lows himself to be persuaded Cor per-
suades himsclD to do something even
"once," if he knows they would diSap-
prove. They love him just the same,
but they can not depend on him. And,
boys, did you ever think what q dread
full thing it is to be boy that is not to
be depended on? Do you know that it
is the ''just this once" that has put
many man and boy in Jail? A mans
accounts are for some unaccountable
reason little short; temptation assails
him and "just for once till he can right
himself Gas he tells himselD he makes
a false entry. The minute he has
yielded to that temptation he is lost.
Because he is either discovered and
punished at once, or he isn't discov-
cred, and the ease with which he ac-
complished his first fraud gives him
courage to commit q second, to cover
up the first Happy is the man who is
discovered the first time and thus saved
long line of crime and deceits.
Boys, don't smoke, don't chew, dom
drink, don't cheat, lie or steal-don' t
do any thing ''just this once" that you
would not be willing to have every
body know.
Now, then, CATER awhile"-well-
"after awhile" is another salve for Il
troubled conscience. or perhaps
would best say troubling conscience.
When conscience tells you of some
thing you have not done ("after
awhile" refers to the thing you have
not done, while "just this once" refers
to the things you have done) you ease
your conscience with the reflection that
you will attend to it latter awhile"
I'm not going to say very much
about latter awhile because what |
have already said about "just this
once has a good deal of bearing upon
it, and any boy who thinks at all can
see it all for himself. And those who
do not think will not read this anyway
But the remedy for both these evils
is "now." If you are doing any thing
you should not, do not wish for one
more Indulgence, stop it "now." If
there is something you should do, do it
"now," for the task will be ten times
as disagreeable latter awhile. Mrs.
Emma G. HeWitt, IN ChriSGiQa al Work.